The Alton Towers Smiler Crash 11 Years On | Joe & Leah on The Tom's Talks Podcast

The Tom's Talks Podcast is a place where we speak to a vast array of people from different walks of life and find out what makes them them. We will speak about their unique journey and delve into the highs and the lows which ultimately define them. Everybody saw what happened on the ride. Nobody ever asked what happened in their parents' living room. On 2nd June 2015, Leah Washington and Joe were on one of their first proper days out as a couple. The Smiler was the first ride they went on. They chose the front row. Twenty minutes later, their carriage hit a stationary car at what investigators later described as the equivalent of a car driving into a wall at 90mph. Leah was 17. She lost her leg above the knee. Joe shattered both knees and nearly lost a finger. They were trapped four metres in the air for four hours. Eleven years on, they're married — and in this episode they take us through all of it. Not just the crash, but everything nobody asks about: the two sets of parents who had never met driving to Stoke together, the brother who told Leah what had happened because she couldn't face hearing it from the surgeon, the press turning up at the hospital doors, and what it actually takes to rebuild a life and a relationship from that. Joe also opens up for the first time on the podcast about his mental health this year — the breakdown, the therapy, the depression diagnosis he never thought he'd get, and the conversation with his dad that changed everything. What we get into: What actually caused the crash — the miscommunication, the button, and why Leah doesn't think anyone should have been prosecuted Ignoring her gut feeling about sitting at the front — and the decision she still thinks about Four hours trapped on the ride, and the rescue crew who were told it wasn't safe to climb up to them Finding out via Sky News — how both sets of parents realised it was their children Waking up from an induced coma, and why it was her brother who broke the news Eight weeks in hospital on the children's ward — and why she didn't want to leave Phantom limb pain, prosthetic sockets, and what nobody tells you about learning to walk again The real cost of a prosthetic leg — £93,000, and what happens if you can't afford it Joe's brother-in-law telling him it was okay to walk away — and why he didn't The compensation misconception: "I'd lose my leg for a million pounds" — and their honest answer to that Whether they'd ever go on a rollercoaster again, and the conversation they'll have to have if they become parents Joe on quitting his job, hitting rock bottom in May, antidepressants, and why he's not embarrassed by any of it The fundraising for Midlands Air Ambulance — the charity that saved Leah's life, and why it runs entirely on donations Leah's new role as an ambassador for the National Rehabilitation Trust, supporting new amputees Plus Tom on losing his brother Liam, why trauma changes the lens you see life through, and the thing both couples live by: tomorrow's never promised. An honest, funny, difficult and genuinely hopeful conversation about survival, love, and what "getting better" actually looks like eleven years later. If you found value in this episode: 👍 Like the video 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations that matter Subscribe for weekly conversations with inspiring guests sharing real stories about resilience, growth and overcoming life’s challenges. It would mean the world to me if you were to like, comment, subscribe on my videos whilst I share my ongoing journey. Check out my website: https://toms-talks.co.uk/ Follow me on Instagram:   / toms.talks__